Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-06-11
THROUGH THE suEz CANAL.

How Many Grent ships Are bnRi-
neered ut one Time Through the
Narrow Ditch.
A writer 10 The Saturday ReUie0 de-
scribcs how the traffic along the sucz
canal Is directed and controlled from
the Office at Terreplein. near Suez
The number Of ships in the canal At the
same time Is sometimes very great On
the 9Th Of December last. for example.
fifteen steamers cleared the canal. of
which seven we're outward-bound. On
the previous day nine ships cleared. and
on the following dag seven. 80 that
during The sih some thirty ships were
probably at one time in the canal.
Sometimes there are as many as forty,
and all are completely under the con
troll Of the French gentleman At his
iesk in an upper chamber Of Terre-
,lein. The method Of work Is exceed
ngly simple. Against the wall at one
side Of the room i n barrow shelf or
platform. along which runs a groove.
A. intervals this trough or groove has
1ecp recesses. and at two places these
recesses are Of larger sic. This
rough or groove represents the canal
The reeesses are the sidings. The
larger intervals are the Great Bitter
lake and Jimsoh. Wien a vessel has
been signaled and Is about 10 enter the
saual at say the Snez end, small
10Y boat or model. three or four inches
long, Is chosen 10 represent her. A
group Of these model ships stands ready
besides the raodel canal. each furnished
with nag. About forty have the En-
giish aag. ten Or dozen the French
aag. and 80 on with other nationali-
,Ies IS tho steamer comes mp and
Der name Is known il i written on
paper and placed on the toy boat. The
whole number Of ships thus act uaIly in
The canal - any moment can be seen
q = glance; and as Geographic signals
give notice the toy boats ara moved
along, or placed in a siding. or shown
.raversiug one Of the lakes at full
speed, Signals are sent from tie Office
70 various ''gagcs" prescribing the
siding at which each ship must stop to
ct another meet and pass IL The
official who IS on duty keeps the
models moving rs he receives notice.
taking care WHOM perhaps two ships
going 10 opposite directions are both
nearing the Same siding 20 give timely
warning 70 the p lots in charge BY
means OF the signal balls and flags at
each station under his control from the
Office. and 10 direc, which Of the two IL
TO liu mp and which to proceed. Bar.
ring accidents. the whole arrangement
goes like clockwork; the clerk can
read on in a moment the name, ton
mage. nationality, draft, aud actual
situation Of every steamer; he can tell
what pilot she has on board. what Is
her breadth Of beam, what rate she is
moving at. and everything else which
had 70 be known about her. and be Il
able without an effort to govern all heI
movements, TO prescribe the place
where she is 10 pass The night, and the
hour which she Is 70 get under way in
the morning, although lie does not sec
her. and probably never saw her in hi,
life. The fees which vessels pay FOL
passing through the canal are often
enormous Some Of the large liners o.
the +. & O. Of the orient service pay
as much as CT, 500 in making a single
transit For every passenger half q
NAPOLEON. or shillings 4 pence, Is
charged. Three tour,hs Of the ships
that 70 through tile canal are English